Tube seal



I N VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

A. W. -KATH TUBE SEAL Filed Feb. 10, 1930 Sept. 1, 1931.

U w m m m u Pateted S ept, l 1931 UNITED STATESU PATENT OFFICE AL'RED W. RATE, OF DETBOIT, MICEIGAN, ASSIGNOB TO ARTHUR COLTON COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A ORCE'ORATION OF MICHIGAN 'I'UBE SEAL Application filed Febi'ua-y o, 1930. Serial No. 4273130.

The present invention relates to collapsible tube containers 'and more especially to t the closing of such tubes after filling. Tubes of this type are used for many purposes and because of this the resulting production is a great many millions annually. A small saving, therefore, in connection with each tube represents in the aggregate a considerable sum. t

Heretofore, it has been 'the customary and substantially the universal practice to fold over the collapsed end of the tube, after filling, and then to place over the fold a V- shaped clip of comparatively stiif metal, which is then' squeezed together over the fold.

Among the objects of the present invention is to do away with the use of such clips and securely close the end of the tube utilizing only the metal of the tube itself.

Another object isto provide a tube having a closing seam composed only of the tube metal and presenting a neat appearance, be-

sides oflering considerable resistane to beingopened due'to squeezing. Another object is a tube closure of the kind I indicated which permits the tube to be tightly rolled as the contents are removed. I

Other objects will readily occur to those v skilled in the art upon reference to the following description.and the accompanying drawings in which i Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a closed tube embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section online 2-2 of Fig. 1. i Fig., 3 is an enlarged view of the section shown in Fig. 2. 4 y

F ig. 4 is a' similarly enlarged section showing an intermediate step in the closing.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of the seal.

i In the drawings a collapsible' tube containing the commodity is indicated at 10 with the screw cap at ll andthe sealed end at 12. As

v stated above, the usual method of scaling is to fold over the collapsed end and apply theieto a metal clip of relatively sti& metal.

In the present case, the tube may be filled in the' usual manner and the end collapsed, but instead of folding once and applying a clip, the collapsed tube is folded over two or more times in the. same direction as indicated at 20 in F ig. 4. After this is done, the several thiclmesses of metal are folded back the other way on a line 21 substantially half way between the edges of the double fold 20 as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4 and by Fig. 3, the latter showing the finished fold or seal in section.

This procedure provides on one side of the tube walls 22, four thicknesses of metal and, on the other, six as illustrated in F ig.

3; producing a stifi folded end which in itself is at least four times as sti as the tube wall, thus eifectively preventing blowing out of the contents.

If desirecl, the folding may be done by means of suitable dies to produce a finished l. A collapsible tubesealed by loop fold- A ing in a direction away from one side of the tube the ends of the collapsed walls, and thenolding back in a direction away from the other side of the tube the fold thus produced, said folding back being on a line at substantially the middle of the first loop fold, the scaling folds extending completely 'transversely of the tube.

2. A collapsible tube sealed by loop folding the ends of the collapsedwalls a plurality of times to form a loop fold on one side of the tube and then folding back against the i) other side of the tube the loop fold thus produced, said folding back being on. a line at substantially the middle of the first loop fold, the scaling folds extending completely transversely of the tube. 3. A collapsible tube sealed -by loop folding in a direction away from one side of the tube the ends of the collapsed walls and then folding back in a direction 'away from the other side of the tube the fold thus produced,

- said folding back being on a, line at substantially the middle of the first loop fold, and corrugating said folds to form ribs and grooves extending lengthwise of the tube,

the scaling folds extending completely trans versely of the tube.

4. A collapsible tube sealed by loop folding the ends of the collapsed walls a pluralty of times to form a loop fold on one side of the tube and then folding back against the other side of the tube the loop :told thus produced, said folding back being on a line at substantially the middle of the first loop fold, and corrugating said folds to form ribs and grooves extending lengthwise of the tube, the sealing folds extending completely transversely of the tube.

5. The method of sealing the end of a collapsible tube which consists in loop-folding in a direction away from one side of the tube, the full length of the ends of the collapsed walls, then folding back, in a direction away from the other side of the tube the full length of the loop told thus produced, on a line at substantially the middle of the first loop fold.

6. The method of scaling the end of a collapsible tube which consists in loop foldin the full length of the endstof the Collapse walls against one side of the tube, then folding back against the other side of the tube the full length of the loop ifold thus produced on a line at substantially the middle of the first loop fold. 'y 7. The method of sealing the end of a collapsible tube which consists in loop-folding in a direction away from one side of the tube, the full length of the ends of the collapsed walls, then folding back, in a direction away from the other side of the tube the full length of the loop fold thus produced, on a line at substantially the middle of the first loop fold, and corrugating said folds to form ribs and grooves extending lengthwise of the tube. r v

8. The method of scaling the end of a collapsible tube which consists in loop folding the full length of the ends of the collapsed walls against one side of the tube, then folding back against the other side of the tube the full length of the loop fold thus produced on a line at substantially the middle of the first loop told, and corrugating said folds.

to form ribs and grooves extend'ng lengthwise of the tube.

ALFRED W. KATH. 

